The Simplest of Things
by Cooper Sterling
Summary: It was meant to be a simple Mission. Find the 'Con outpost, and relay the location back... Ironhide never saw it coming, but Prowl did. Just not in time. Rated T because Prowl didn't have such a good time.
1. Into the frying pan

**Author's Note: First time giving Transformers fanfic a try......This is pretty much mixed movieverse and G1, and then just some spices of my own cracked up world thrown in......I've roleplayed Transformers for awhile, and this has been nagging at me....So hopefully it's not too bad.... Please don't throw tomatoes...They leave stains...**

**Throw Cucumbers instead. ^_^**

**But seriously....Without further ado, I give you the first unbearably short chapter of The Simplest of Things.**

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Planet Designation: P03F

Brief info: P03F is a solid rock based planet, small pockets of vegetation and thick forest scattered around in pockets in the lowlands.

Autobots assigned: Prowl; Tactician, Ironhide; Combatant

Mission Purpose: Locate the Decepticon Outpost on the southern continent, in the vicinity of the western forests.

* * *

"Any signs at all yet?" Prowl voiced from a ridge atop one of the actual rock parts of this forsaken planet…The Weapons Specialist stood about twenty yards off, making a very noticeable point to stand at a higher elevation that the tactician, turning only to verbally respond to the tactician with a grunt.

"If I saw anything, then I'd been shooting, wouldn't I?"

"Just checking….You never know. You might have decided to pursue a tactical plan of attack for once.

Ironhide snorted, before turning to face the north once again. Unsure for the moment of what the other had paused to look at, Prowl continued up the reddish slop, before pausing next to the slightly taller mech. Below them, the barren, rocky landscape had given way to a lush, overgrown pocket of vegetation. Prowl could barely restrain his faceplates from contorting into a grin as he heard the black mech next to him grumble in annoyance.

"Slaggin' vegetation……..That's gonna clog the gyros…."

An amused tone to his voice, Prowl felt the need to respond.

"Hm….Just think of the water required to grow such organic materials to that size…."

"……..Remind me again why we're here. And more important, why Prime sent you along with me…"

Prowl watched as vapors and mists swirled up and around in the atmosphere around them, his optics staying locked on the oasis as he pondered whether this was rhetorical or not. A few seconds later, he answered, albeit with a slight mocking tone to his voice.

"…..If your hard drives are really that defective, I'd be only too happy to remind you. We are here, Ironhide, because the Decepticons have an outpost somewhere in this region. I was sent along for a few reasons. One, to make sure you don't go up in front of forty 'Cons and get your head blown to little bits. Two, because thinking tactically and reasonably is a good idea for this mission. And three, because if you do need to take on forty 'Cons at once, someone needs to be there to bail your aft out of the fire."

Ironhide snorted , steam billowing out with a low hiss, and began walking down the rocky slopes to the rainforest below, sending rocks tumbling and dust billowing as his large feet trampled forward.

"One, forty 'Cons wouldn't even provide that much of a threat, Prowl. That little amount wouldn't even count as a warm up. Two, thinking isn't going to save me in a fight. Shooting is. And three, which I might add is the most important one, it'll be me pulling your aft out of the fire, lightweight.

Prowl followed Ironhide down the slop, his own footfalls more carefully placed than the bulkier mech's in front of him, didn't send up half the dirt and dust the other was as they continued towards the bountiful pocket of rainforest like environment. Just before they reached the trees, Prowl spoke up again feeling the mood darken and trying to keep the good humor going.

'If you have to pull my aft out of the fire, it'll be because you threw it in there in the first place…"

This attempt to lighted the mood however, was lost as Ironhide's left foot sunk into the spongier ground of this low-lying pocket, then his right.

'If I have to throw your aft into the fire, it's because you're too much of a coward to get in there yourself…..Now….Shut. Up."

Prowl was only too happy to oblige as his own metallic feet began slogging through the undergrowth.

* * *

**Author's Continued Ramblings: **

**Also~ Me and some friends were discussing the AWESOMENESS of the movieverse Ironhide.....And we couldn't help but notice....Ironhide has a cool accent....**

**Now, we know he's supposed to sound badass, but other than that, what would his speech patterns be qualified as? I've heard it's supposed to be an old form of new colony English.....But I'm not sure.....**

**Anyone who can help me figure this out get a cyber hug and muffin basket, and I'll mention your names and AWESOMENESS in the next chapter following your helpful info.**

**Thanks for reading! Tell me what you think, please?**


	2. No Touching Rule

"…..Ironhide, Maybe we should rest awhile."

"Tired already, lightweight?"

"I could do with a recharge to remain at optimal condition, but mostly I mention rest because I can hear your lower gears and gyros groaning. We're picking up more residual debris than is strictly good for us. I've already personally accumulated enough organic material to reduce mobility by approximatel-"

"No one cares about percentages, Prowl…….It's not even worth mentioning the stupid organic slag. Just keep moving….And you know I don't need to be at peak condition just to shoot a few fragging 'Cons."

"All the same, I think we should-"

Prowl dropped off as two luminous blue optics, hotter than the core fires of hell, turned to bore right back at his softer intellectual ones.

"Prowl?……..Just…….Shut……the……..Slag……..up."

He did as the other mech asked, his processors still echoing with warnings….Moving forwards anyways, Prowl left himself on a lower processing speed, in an attempt to save all the power he might need for later.

Finally, after several more hours of this senseless slogging, Prowl had achieved quite the collection of organic material in his gears, gyros, bearings, and threaded all throughout his shin plating and cables were vines and twigs….But this was nothing to the stupid mud that had clogged up his frames lower vents…And some sort of ground based vine-like creepers had matted themselves between the thick digits of both feet.

Finally, Prowl just stopped, reclining heavily on a piece of protruding stone, and shifted his shin plates gently to the side with a grating feeling. He watched with acute displeasure as a thin layer of mud flaked off, hitting the ground with a disgusting plop. Thinner mechanized fingers began to scrape the rest of the crud out, only pausing as luminous cyan eyes flickered up briefly at Ironhide, whom had doubled back, crossed his arms, and now looked like the perfect position of ultimate grump.

"Just what the _frag_ do you think you're doing?"

Prowl's answer was short, and to the point.

"I believe that I already expressed the need to take a break earlier. However, I would be happy to re-expla-"

"Prowl?"

"Yes?"

"How many times do I have to say it? Shut. Up."

Prowl just cycled his vents in annoyance, and went back to the annoying and meticulous task of cleaning the rainforest off of his legs. Ironhide just 'harrumphed' and sat on a larger (of course) rock from where Prowl sat.

"Since yer too small yet to get any further, we might as well stop here for a quick cycle. I'll take first-"

"Recharge. You'll take first Recharge." Prowl finished Ironhide's sentence before the other could so much as recalibrate an optic.

"I'll be working on this for a while, 'Hide. I can very easily handle the multi-tasking."

"You're more tired than I am. You stopped first."

"Not necessarily more tired. Just more logical. I knew you wouldn't stop, so I thought I might as well, instead of continuing around the jungle carelessly. And I daresay you're more tired than I am. You've said it yourself. I'm lightweight, and you carry around more aft then I do. Now get into Recharge.

Grumbling, Ironhide realized the Tactician sitting across the way from him was right.

Damn him.

"But if you think I'm letting a single-bit driller like you be on watch for long, forget it."

And with that parting threat, Ironhide allowed his optics to dim as he slipped into a hasty Recharge cycle.

A few hours later, after meeting bare minimum, Ironhide's smoldering optics flicker to life once more, and he stood. He rotated one shoulder, then the other, listening to the realigning joints happily. He did the same with his knees, ankles, and pretty much every other movable part, before looking down in a mystified manner.

His armor was completely devoid of any mud or vegetation….Only one mech would've dared to touch a recharging Ironhide's armor….

"PROWL?!?!?" His trademarked grumpy voice, tinged with anger rang through the forest. The silvery mech wasn't sitting across from him, and Ironhide moved off with an angered huff, striding off as he began looking for Prowl's energon signal, then finding it, opened an internal com link.

::Two things, Mr. Thinker. One, you touched me without my permission in Recharge. Two, you are not at your post. Both offenses get you an aft-kicking. Now, Just where the frag are you?!::

::North-northeast of your current position…..'Hide? Have you ever tried hiding your energon signal?.......Too easy to find, if you ask me………I think we may have a 'Con out here in the weeds, but I can't tell. There might be more than one, but their signals are cloaked. Well.::

::Cloaking is the same as hiding. Something I refuse to do.::

::Bet you'd hide if you were faced with a group of Decepticons and you were either painted pink, or had had your sparkling with….::

::………Bumblebee can offline more Decepticons with his pinky in a minute than you ever will, Prowl. And you just earned yourself another aft-kicking.::

At this last statement from the Weapons Specialist, he emerged into a more open part of the woods.

Prowl watched the oncoming Ironhide with swirling optics, before turning back to peer at the throng of trees around them. He could feel both the strong hum of Ironhide beside him, and the significantly muted hum of enemies out there deep in his processor…… Prowl just continued scanning, barely paying attention to the conversation. Switching back to external communications, he turned to look at the black mech shifting from foot to foot beside him.

"What's wrong? I thought I had removed all of the debris….Certainly enough for you to resume normal walking…."

Prowl was rewarded with a "light" (by Ironhide's standards) thwack to the head, disjointing his optic feed for a millisecond. His optics shuttered for a moment as he recalibrated the external sensors, while Ironhide turned to face him.

"Shut up. You touched my armor when I was in Recharge. No matter the reason, you don't do that. Period. At all…..But that's not what's wrong, genius. I can smell at least two Decepticons out there.

With a small and quick nod, Prowl flipped a battle mask into place.

"Then I'm guessing just standing around here is a bad idea, then?"

Ironhide nodded, his own scarred, dented, and scratched battlemask sliding into place, as black and silver components began rearranging themselves artfully into the cannons Prowl had seen so many times.

"Best idea you've had all fraggin' day. Which still doesn't even out your owed aft-kickings, but it's a start…."

Prowl grinned, faceplates shifting happily under the battlemask.

"Well then….Let's get to it."

No sooner has the sounds left Prow's vocal processor, then Ironhide was already off and stomping through the undergrowth, Prowl trailing behind as his left arm began rearranging itself into his own, albeit much weaker and thinner, cannon. Silence ensued as they began in the direction of the supposed enemies.

The silence didn't last long enough for either of the duo to enjoy it. One moment, they were creeping through the vegetation, the next, the forest around was the alight with cannon fire, and rocked by the all-too-familiar sounds of explosions.


	3. Crippled

**A.N.: Thanks for all the awesome reviews, everyone! I've got alot in mind for this one......**

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One moment, they were creeping through the vegetation, the next; the forest around them was alight with cannon blasts, rocked by the all too familiar sounds of explosions.

Ironhide immediately went with the subtle option, and blasted back as fast as he could manage; streaking the burst the bursts of light, energy, and heat right back, just as fast as he could manage. Though he knew the likelihood of hitting an enemy and doing any actual damage from this range was minimal, Prowl sent off a few wayward cyan bursts of his own, just to keep with the theme and keep Ironhide off of his back about it, for now.

Judging by the angles from whence the blasts came, Prowl could see there was a definite change in elevation from their standpoint, to their enemies, which unfortunately gave them the advantage right off the bat. Plan already forming, Prowl pulled up an internal com link, sending a burst of crackling energy as he went.

:: I'm going to strafe around the side. I'm aiming to outflank those over-complicated glitches. If I ca- ::

Unsurprisingly, Prowl didn't even get any further than that. A blast hit just a little too close to the duo's feet, sending Prowl sprawling, coating him in mud head to toe. Ironhide somehow manage to stay upright, and continued shooting.

:: Cut to the chase, Prowl. I don't have time to sit here and discuss every fraggin' step. ::

:: This would actually be a great time for you to aim to make more noise, and keep shifting around. It'll help hide my steps, and keep 'em, distracted. ::

:: Understood. ::

With a quick nod barely seen in between the fighting, Prowl moved quickly, weaving through the trees as he timed each footstep of his with either a blast or a step of Ironhide's. Needless to say, he was almost constantly in motion. True to his earlier assessment, the ground did indeed slop upwards, and with the mud, it wasn't too fun to be slogging through. But he got closer and closer, until he could feel the firing of the offending cannons deep in his spark plates, letting him know just how close to the enemy he was…..Except he didn't see them.

The hum of an unfamiliar energon signal was there, and it was strong….But Prowl saw nothing, optics barely peeking around the tree he was using to shield himself for the moment. Just more trees, mud, grit, assorted undergrowth, and ……Oh.

:: Ironhide, they're actually using the organic materials to hide themselves. I'm going to take this front one, which should cause a distraction, but I'd really, really appreciate it if you didn't shoot in my direction while I was up here….. ::

:: Fine. I'm coming up there instead…..Don't trust you alone. You seem to earn aft-kickings when you're alone. ::

:: Very funny, oh master of wit. Now if you excuse me, I have a Decepticon to shoot. ::

:: Remember to shoot either the head or the spa- ::

For once, it was Prowl that cut off Ironhide's jibe.

:: I know where to shoot. ::

With that, Prowl merely shut down the com link, and moved, processors speeding up for the heat of battle. There was an irregular pattern in the forest floor, which he seriously suspected was the hiding 'Con. Cannon whirling in anticipation, Prowl moved fast, knowing that surprise was going to be what decided this battle.

Red optics, cleverly muted in the forest, swirled around to only be met with those soft blue one of the Autobot, which quickly turned cold as a whirling cannon was brought to play. The Decepticon didn't even have time to bring his own cannon around to bear on Prowl when the Tactician had the muzzle snugged up against its chest, and let loose a blast muted by the forest around them.

The lifeless frame slid to the ground, energon streaming around the fatal wound, sparks dancing here and there, as a few wayward bursts from the remaining enemies slid past overhead. Prowl was sure to note every one of their trajectories and their relativity to their firers, and he and Ironhide's position.

Moments after offlining that single 'Con, Ironhide was by his side again.

:: Good job. You actually offlined one. ::

Prowl let this comment slide, as he was already in motion, grabbing the other mech by a collar plate, and sharply jerking down. Ironhide upper torso buckled, dropping a few feet as the other mech pulled, and a crackling blast went over their heads.

:: WHAT DID I SAY ABOUT TOUCHING ME? ::

:: Would you have rather that blast connected with your head? ::

Prowl was only responded to with another light (depending on your point of view) whap to the head.

:: Let's go. I don't have time for this slag…. ::

Indeed, the firing above them had increased, enough to cause worry. Reinforcements must've come… This again put the enemy at the advantage.

:: Think you handle not getting your head blown off if we split up? A multipronged attack would work best here. ::

:: The question isn't about me, it's about you. I can handle myself. I have for how long? You on the other hand….::

::Will be just fine. Good. I'll go right. Loop around and hit them at a right angle from the side. ::

With a plan in agreement between the two, Prowl was in movement already, strafing to the side and using trees as he moved, each one another shield, another safe haven before there was the next dash to the tree. Figuring he'd use the same plan of attack, Prowl got close enough to feel the shooting of the next Decepticon, which was still primarily focused on their previous location. Perfect. The bugger hadn't even noticed the Tactician's movements….Which meant that Ironhide was probably in the clear as well.

Except the Decepticon had.

Prowl lunged like before, bringing the cannon to bear on the Decepticon, but before he could even get his own blast off, that fiery orange muzzle was pointed at him, and it was discharging. He saw all of this, running trajectories, probabilities, everything as time seemed to slow for his heightened speed of mind, allowing him a play-by-play view of what happened next.

Prowl did his best to twist in the air and avoid the blast, which was only partly successful. The shot connected with his knee joint, sending little bits and gears flying, and Prowl braced himself for the flash of pain that came, shoving it to his back burners as soon as it came. Pain was not important in a fight.

Action.

Reaction.

Attack.

Counter-attack.

That's what he had to focus on.

So that's what he focused on.

With an Ironhide worthy growl, Prowl continued in his haphazard lunge, still of course, but enough to get the cannon close enough as he moved, lining it up for that precious few second window he had, as the Decepticon's red optics were met with the sight of a whirring cannon. Prowl promptly let the energy build-up loose, and watched with satisfaction as it connected, sending molten bits flying, sparks dancing across everything, and a lovely splatter of energon into the trees behind them.

He landed with the accompanying thud and crunching noise, his knee unsurprisingly giving out as he half knelt on the ground. Prowl wasn't going to sit there like that for long. He had to get moving. Always stay in motion. Always.

:: Ironhide, I'm hit. Nothing serious, but it's going to affect mobility. I'm getting out of the fray long enough to do some minor repairs. I've got hydraulics out, and energon line ruptured, and pretty sure most of the other lines in my knee are damaged. ::

:: Understood. I'll slag these heaps, and be right over. ::

Prowl set to work immediately. He did his best reassemble the pieces that were left in his leg into a working joint, but from there, it got more complicated. It hurt, and it would've been less painful that it was already in a more controlled environment, but Prowl didn't have those luxuries right now. Several adjustments in the order of his plating had to be made, and he got most of the lines patched up with rudimentary battle repairs, but just as he was about to get to work further, he heard something that made his processor drop.

He hadn't noticed the hum earlier…It certainly wasn't Ironhide's, and it was coming in fast. Prowl swore, and got up, keeping a hand cupped over the knee joint as he hobbled along back into the forest, away from the sounds that dictated where Ironhide was blasting the crap out of something. He kept going, until he came face to face with an opening, which, according to his luck so far, had to be backed with an outcropping of rock. One which he couldn't get over with his knee in this condition.

:: Oh frag. Ironhide - ::

Prowl started to turn to face the tree line again, keeping his digits pressed tightly against the still severed lines. Electric blue energon continued running down in rivulets around the plated joint, sprouting sporadically as he kept himself as far away from the trees and the approaching Decepticon as was possible. Optics widening, the outer iris whirling madly as scans began.

The urgency in his own voice as he spoke through the com like with Ironhide scared Prowl, and for a moment, he wondered why he was suddenly so eager for the other mech to come. And then it hit him as the scans and calculations bubbled up coldly through his consciousness.

_Energon signal detected. Designation unknown en route._

Prowl felt cold all over.

He was here.

Alone.

Crippled.

No place to go.

With a Decepticon coming.

He began backpedaling frantically, scooting back against the boulders and the rest of the outcropping. Prowl's leg just barely had brushed itself against a rock, when a glinting form through itself through the trees.

::There's anoth- ::

Whirring cannons discharged, stones flew, the ground rocked, and Prowl suddenly found himself with a lovely view of the ground as optics flickered, then -


	4. No Report

**A/N. Didn't expect to get this much positive feedback on it.......You guys are all AWESOME. ^o^**

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:: Oh frag, Ironhide, there's anoth- ::

And then…Static….Followed by….More static. Ironhide swore harshly, shooting the already offlined Decepticon in front of him out of anger, then shooting the head again, just totally slagging the lifeless thing out of pure anger.

:: Prowl, _report_. ::

No answer.

:: Come on, you slagging report happy mech. **Report.** ::

Still no answer.

But Ironhide was no longer expecting one.

But that didn't stop him from trying to hail the Tactician a few more times. Obviously, the Weapon's Specialist was still only met with static. Cannons whirling angrily, mood much darker than before, Ironhide began moving off in the direction of Prowl's last transmission.

He paused as he reached the 'Con that Prowl had managed to offline somehow, though not without a struggle. Without even giving any thought to the matter, Ironhide went through and thoroughly slagged the body of the Decepticon that had effectively crippled Prowl and lent to his friend's unknown fate. After making sure that the thing was definitely offline, he knelt to examine the ground carefully, not only looking for tracks, but…..

_There._

The all too familiar splatter of electric blue, strikingly at odds with the ground….

_Slag._

Optics rising, Ironhide moved off after the blue spatters; strikingly at odds with the earth-toned ground beneath, following the crushed and disturbed foliage.

_Slag._

He hadn't been the first to follow….And Prowl would've made damn sure not to leave such a large, bulky, and obvious trail…. All of this, coupled with that last frantic message from the Tactician made the Master of Combat's mood steadily decline… Up ahead, the trees were totally decimated, and many branches were singed and burned harshly.

_**Slag.**_

Ironhide strode forward.

Blue energon splatters.

Rocks shattered and displaced.

A serious lacking off offlined Cybertronians.

All of those signs, plus the tracks, furrows, and scrapes left in the ground, told Ironhide all he needed to know…..Namely, Prowl was in a heap of trouble.

He began trudging in the direction that the disturbances led, shouldering a single smoking cannon.

He didn't need help on this matter…..But Ironhide figured it would be best to at least let someone know of the current situation…

So he stopped for a moment. The Decepticon ahead was carrying Prowl…..He may have been lightweight for his size, slim and compact, but he was still big enough to cause a hindrance….

_:: Attempting to connect long distance transmission….::_

_..._

…

…

_:: Transmission successfully accepted. :: _

:: Meridian here. What's wrong? ::

Ironhide was torn between sighing in relief at the call being picked up, and groaning aloud at whom picked it up. After a few seconds, he settled for the groan.

:: Situation change…..Is there anyone else around? ::

:: As Prowl is well….There with you obviously, I would think he'd be sufficiently able to advise you. Unless he's incapable of coming up with a plan to get you out of whatever trouble you've managed to work your way into. Though I wouldn't put it past him to not be able to come up with something….That Tactician just doesn't have the affinity that I do for abstract thinking…::

Ironhide felt his gears grinding as he listened to the other mech's voice…. Meridian was an idiotic, glitch-headed coward. Pure and simple. He was a mech they'd picked up earlier in the T3 system a while back cowering, hiding, _staying tactically unknown by the enemy. _Of course, as if being a coward wasn't enough, Meridian also thought himself just one inch shorter in ability than Prime himself. But of course, you'd never catch him saying that out loud. He always had _the utmost respect_ or _sheer awe_ in Optimus's presence. However, the lower ranking mech was known for a few other things other than ego.

Number one, his processors were half as fast's and handy as Prowl's, making him more useful intellectually that Ironhide, but still lower than Prowl.

Number two, Meridian had an envious (to some) arrangement of a tri-barreled cannon, making him more deadly than Prowl in a fight, but never so much as Ironhide.

Number three, he obviously didn't like either Prowl or Ironhide.

::Prowl isn't with me… ::

The next few words were hard for Ironhide to choke out, much less think. He ground his gears in annoyed fashion, cannons whirring as Ironhide took enough grit from the comforting weapons to say what was wrong.

:: Slaggin' Decepticons overran his position. They kept him online, but I can't find his signal. From where the last position was heading, I think they've got an underground installation of sorts. ::

There was silence on the other end, and Ironhide waited for a response almost patiently, the rockets around his right cannon joining the rest of his components in their angered whirring. Finally after what Ironhide guessed was a length of frantic computations of possibilities on the other end, Meridian's voice returned.

:: If he's still online and they have him, you need to get him out. If they attempt to get information, Prowl's firewalls should keep them out…..At least regulars out. There's a few that might be skilled or familiar enough with Prowl's processing to either break him, or weasel their way in. Both of which would not be good. ::

:: Who? :: Was all that Ironhide needed to ask. A list of definite targets, definite mechs to offline….A focus point.

:: People that are already familiar with the way he works, or are already extremely versed in hacking. Designations: Soundwave, _maybe_ Frenzy, Barricade…..Considering that Frenzy is already symbiotic with Barricade and the slagging 'Con is Prowl's brother, that'd be my best guess on who they'll try and get to get in.::

:: Understood. ::

And before Meridian could continue one more count, Ironhide closed the long-distance com link, intent on the tracks like never before.


	5. Waking Up

….There was movement.

Prowl's sense of equilibrium told him he was in motion…He was slumped over……Something, a hard mechanized shoulder-joint…...Optics flickered to life for a moment………..He registered darkness….For a few minutes, he began running scans…..The temperature was colder than…Than…

Than the rainforest!

Memories rushed back, and it was all he could do to get things registering and moving again.

Optics widened, and Prowl started to get his hydraulics working again. He could hear warning bells in his head, going off about everything. His energon was running on a lower level that it should've been, and Prowl struggled to get his vocal processor going again as he frantically realized what was going on.

A jittering of confused chirrups and squeaks worked their way, and Prowl started moving again before something large and painful collided and he –

…..

………..

………………

"He's rebooting. Whack him now. Before he can get any suitable protection in place."

A femme's voice, cold and calculating was all that Prowl had time to recognize before he suddenly arched his back, trashing as he felt something….Something painful and alien intruding into his processors, worming its way into everything, leeching onto codes painfully, copying and transferring the data somewhere else….. He could feel part of the program trying to shift its way into his tightest data bank, where he had most of the information about -

"SLAG, NO!" Prowl choked out, voice cracking and shuddering as he tried twisting again. Something hard and cold held him down around his middle, and at each wrist and ankle, preventing him from jarring the cords and cables wired firmly through a break between a collar plate and one of his thin chest plates. The cords snaked their way through, some breaking off earlier than others, but all jacked in somewhere where Prowl definitely did not want them…

They were taking information….._Sensitive information_……

With a scream from his processors that found its way out through his vocal processor, he twisted one more time, managing to dislodge one single cable.

The failsafe for the extracting programs kicked in. The second one of the cables lost its connection, the others sparked, sending a wave of pain that made the Tactician go limp once more on the table as his processors put themselves out of their misery for the time being.

Saai grinned, faceplates shifting.

"What'd we get?"

There was silence, followed by the frantic shuffling of one of her assistants.

"…..Some slag about mission status and who they were to report to. Too encrypted to get any further than that. And pretty much useless….."

Awry responded, speaking gently. He wasn't sure what reaction he'd get, but he was pretty sure it'd be-

"WE HAD HIM ONLINE AND HOOKED UP, AND THAT`S THE BEST YOU GIVE ME?............. Slagging useless you are….."

"You should see his firewall though….He barely got one put up, but then he started rerouting so fast and he got that cable undone and- "

"Shut up. We're just going to have to get a little more involved in this, I suppose…."

There was another evil grin from the Decepticon femme, and she looked at the prone form on the table.

"We're just going to have to make a crack to get in through that little wall of his, aren't we?"


	6. Stripped

**Oober Special Thanks to: **

**Zulli, for letting me play with your toys.**

**Koo, for not leaving me alone while I slave away at my keyboard.**

**Nay Prime, for using your AWESOMENESS to keep me going all the ling long day. **

* * *

As Prowl's consciousness began coming around again, he made sure to stay quiet and not move until he had a diagnostics scan run.

Weapons were offline…

Mobility was limited at this point.

Hydraulics were shot in the damaged knee.

Energon level was being kept a bare minimum operating level.

And he had one hell of a virus eating away at his firewall…

None of these things boded well for him….

Optics flickered open once more, all the while bolstering his firewall.

Surprisingly, Prowl was not met with pain, as he had come to expect, but a set of red optics, peering down at his own expectantly.

"Subject is online again. Shall we reintroduce the full extraction program?"

"After how well that worked out for you last time, Awry ...I don't think so. I've got something else in mind…"

A second pair of red optics flickered into view, and Prowl found himself unconsciously tensing at the sight of them. Whoever this was……They were not going to be fun to be around. Prowl was sure of that. He identified the femme as the one giving orders here, the one who was in charge of….The information gathering.

Great.

He'd heard femmes could be real glitches to get along with…

But he hadn't expected to be fragging _tortured_ by one….

"Let's try getting along with him….You get more results from being nice sometimes…."

Those bloody optics again fixed on his own. Prowl resisted the urge to speak up and say _I can hear you talking_, continuing to opt for complete silence.

"I'm Saai…."

There was gesturing off to his side at the mech, Awry, if he had inferred correctly from their earlier conversing…

"This is designation Awry……Now….We already figured out your designation…..But would you like to be civilized and tell us anyways?"

Prowl stayed mute, instead just settling for glaring daggers at them both…..Which of course did little but make Saai laugh.

"Oh….You're so cute when you try and look all threatening when you're just laying there defenseless… But really, _Prowl, _you might as well just tell us what we're going to find out anyways. I've been ordered to squeeze out every last drop of helpful information you might have, and since you're pretty high up in the ranks yourself, there's going to be a load of it. It would be illogical for you to sit around and endure the pain since we're going to get the information anyways……So you can just let your firewall down now, and everything will work out, alright?"

Prowl shuddered at the emphasis put on his designation as she spoke, but he barely paid any attention to the rest of what she was saying. He got the gist of it. Surrender now, save yourself, we're going to win anyways, blah, blah, blah……It was the same slag any other Decepticon spouted to make themselves feel better.

"……Never."

A clichéd response, but Prowl felt it a fitting one. He wouldn't let another single iota of data get to them if he could help it….

There was a sigh on the other end of the conversation, but Prowl thought he caught the glimmer of a smirk. Awry started moving in closer, as Saai moved off.

"I thought you'd say that. You're too stuck to your ways to see the logic of the situation…..Pity. It would've been quicker the other way……Awry, start removing all this unneeded plating, would you? ….It's just going to get in the way…."

Prowl felt his spark go a little colder, as he heard a whirring noise, not unkin to a table saw, and saw that mech moving in closer with a notched, spinning, sharp-toothed blade re arranging itself out of Awry's left hand, the blade artfully rearranging itself to do its work.

Oh.

Frag.

Prowl started to twist again, but his attempts were short lived. The single hand that hadn't changed into the tool moved down to press his head tightly against the metal of the table, and with the rest of his body stuck in that spread-eagle position, the next movements were infinitesimal.

It didn't mean that his screams were any smaller when the blade bit under his chest plates.

Specks of molten metal slewed off as the unexpected friction began in earnest, sparks flying. Every now and then, Prowl would feel a jolt of pain, then hear a loud clatter as yet another piece of his frame hit the floor. After a few more minutes of the wordless screams of pain his vocal processor choked out, he felt silent as they system's failsafe kicked in before he could ruin it completely.

Prowl lost his sense of time for those moments as they disassembled the exterior protections that lay over his chest. Eventually, all the glinting plates had been painfully removed from his collar, down throughout his trunk, leaving multitudes of cables, wires, cords, and other key components exposed. A knotted mass of metal showed his spark chamber. With everything showing now so completely, Prowl felt exposed, like a major measure of his privacy had been removed from him by allowing anyone and everyone to view his internal workings.

He didn't even get a few more minutes to recover, everything from his audio receptors to his hydraulics still ringing painfully and unable to function properly in the aftermath of the pain.

Saai turned to Awry as the last piece of metal clattered against the stone floor, her grin evident on both her faceplates, and in her voice.

"Excellent. This should've weakened his resolve a bit, and put some more strain on his firewall. …..You've exposed more sensitive wiring as well. Perfect. …..Get the major programs working on him again, would you?"

Awry was only too happy to do so. Carefully, meticulously, almost lovingly, he found the wires Saai had asked for, and made careful incisions in their protective coatings, and taking the ends of the wires hooked up to the extracting drone systems, wrapped it around the exposed lengths of Prowl's workings, the microscopic filaments adapting and coding themselves in almost immediately.

Once again, Prowl was aware of that nagging, alien, and _painful_ ache working its way into his systems once more. He couldn't…..He couldn't let it past…..There would be so much that would be compromised if they got into him…..

Prowl jerked, shuddering as a crackling coppery cough squeezed its way past before he went limp again, forcefully pulling the plug on his systems for the time being.

"….Slag. We lost him again."

"…..Did we get any closer?" Saai sounded annoyed, but she had expected as much.

"Very much so. ……One, maybe two more times, and we'll have it all decoded." Awry answered happily.

"…..Call me when he comes out of it again."

"Will do."

* * *

**And a special thanks to YOU READERS, for keeping me inspired to write.**

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**And if you did any of the above, and I forgot to mention you, sorry. I've come down with some H1N1 and I'm totally zonked….**


	7. Backup

_:: Incoming long distance transmission. Accept? ::_

Ironhide snorted. Oh no, he was just going to let the incoming message rot, and ignore it for the time being…

Stupid formalities….

He linked up with the incoming com in a matter of nanoseconds, expecting to hear Meridian or some other two-bit mech, but was instead greeted by a much more familiar, much more comforting voice.

:: 'Hide, finally. Where're you at right now, and what's your status? :: Ratchets concerned voice entered his processor, making the older mech grin at the usual response from the medic.

:: 'M fine. Really annoyed, but fine…….How'd you get in touch so quick? ::

:: Meridian was going around, blabbing about how you two couldn't keep a mission going steady for more than a few hours. So we asked him what he was talking about and…….You're not seriously going in there yourself are you? ::

:: I certainly ain't leaving Prowl in there alone. ::

:: ….This is exactly why we sent him with in the first place…. Think about this, Ironhide. You're heading towards an unknown exactly enemy base, with an unknown amount of enemies inside. Does this really seem like a smart idea to you? ::

:: Does leaving Prowl there seem like a smart idea to you? ::

:: …….:: There was a heartbreaking pause on the other end of the line, before Ratchet spoke again.

:: One in the hands of the enemy is preferable to two…..But you can't rush in there blind. ::

:: And why not? ::

Ironhide's tone was challenging, taunting almost.

:: Because backup is going to be there shortly. ::

His tone changed almost as quickly, from challenging, to pleasantly surprised.

:: How? ::

:: We'd be there already…….But I made Jazz follow _some_ safety precautions. Mind hailing us in? Give us a reasonable location to land at, and we'll have Prowl out in a jiffy, and those glitch-heads slagged beyond recognition....You're going to have to share your kills with Jazz though. ::

Ironhide grinned, even though he knew the other couldn't see it. It was just something that was_ felt_.

:: Let me find you a decent landing sight, and a beacon will be up shortly. ::


	8. Found

**alright.... I know this is going to be a long time coming, and I deserve to be thrown in a hutch with a pack of angry bunnies or something for being this slow with this chapter.**

**I've just missed a bunch of school...so you know, homework and all... And my muses all went on insanely long vacations, from which I had to lure them back in with Ayreon.**

**So once more, without further ado... I give you what you've been waiting for. Once again, apologies.**

* * *

Record time, and Jazz had the ship down, and was out into the woods. He could almost feel Prowl in trouble, almost taste it. And it was driving him insane, slowly, but surely.

He barely paid attention to what Ironhide told them all. It didn't matter. Getting Prowl out mattered. Ratchet flanking his left, Ironhide to his right, the Saboteur led them in, if only for the reason that the others couldn't keep up. It was his Prowl in there, with who knew what happening to him... Jazz wouldn't stand for that any longer than he had to. Already it had been too long.

There was silence across all of their coms. No one wanted to say anything. There was nothing to be said. Nothing comforting at least. They all knew how long Prowl had been there. But they all knew his resolve. He wouldn't break. Not if he could help it.

That was the key phrase.

Not if he could help it.

Jazz was one who knew... There was always a way to make a mech break. It came with his job... But thinking of some of the techniques he had come across...

Slag it. They needed to get him out of there.

And so it was when they found the entrance to the underground outpost, shots were fired, Decepticons fell, Autobots moved in. They didn't know how many 'Cons were in there... But it was time to get Prowl out.

:: Jazz, left! :: Ironhide's crackle filled Jazz's audios. He moved, barely avoiding the blast.

::Keep your processor focused... I don't need more to patch up..." Was Ratchet's equally stoic reply.

As they moved, taking out the security measures, cameras and mechs alike, they acted truley. As a team. When one dodged, another was there to shoot and cover. Jazz always led them. It was after the fifth mech had fallen to heavy fire they hit a bit of a snag.

A split in the corridor.

"I'm not sure splitting up is a good idea..." Ratchet spoke first, keeping his voice low, scanners running quickly.

"There's a possibility our comms will go down. And if the one on his own ends up in trou-"

Ratchet was cut off. Jazz simply looked down each corridor, selected the left one, and started off at a steady trot.

"-ble...We could...lose...Contact..." He slowly ground to a halt, and looked after the receding silver mech. Ironhide chuckled, a low gravely sound.

"Best keep up, eh, Doc?" Was the only thing he bothered to say, before pursuing Jazz down the hall.

Ratchet huffed, a gruff cycling of his vents as he moved after them, keeping pace.

He knew they had found the right room when they stopped, optics fixed through a doorway. Jazz stood in front, almost afraid to go in. Ironhide was cycling his cannons angrily, blue and amber glows casting soft light.

Neither of which boded well.

Ratchet slid to a stop by them, neck craning to see....and went still.

They stood there for a minute or two. It was Jazz that finally broke the silence.

"Oh Primus......Prowler..."


	9. Not Good

**Alright. I seriously deserve to be thrown to the plotWOLVES for taking so long on this chapter. And I've got the next chapter almost done, but we needed this little snippet in there before I progressed. At least, I felt like I needed it in there. For dramatic effect or something.**

The trio just stared at the fourth mech for the moment. On the other side of the room, an open door yawned into yet another empty hallway. Whoever had been in the room must have run. And run fast.

Prowl was still layed out on the table. Or at least, most of him was. On counters and surrounding tables was most of his armor. layed out like some sick mechanical buffet. Jazz's VPU crackled with static for a moment as he tried to find something to say in the sight of one of his closest frieds stripped that bear.

Even his doorwings. Jazz didn't want to take too much to think how painful that was. They were out of their protective plating, and one looked to have been dislocated. Sensors and all of the internal workings were laid bare to the eye, and he could see the energon lines that spiderwebbed delicately across each component.

"Prowler.." It was a repeat, but Jazz didn't have much more to say. The tactician's optics were dull, and he feared that maybe they hadn't quite gotten there in time. With a gruff vent, Ratchet moved over, and began to assess the damage.

Ironhide was moving already. He wasn't one to stick around the wounded while the doctors did their thing. He was the kind who went after the bad guys and did the aft kicking.

And there was Pit to pay.

And he was the toll collecter.

Ironhide moved quickly, heading through the door on the otherside of the room and into the new hallway.

Jazz was left alone with Ratchet, and moved over to the other mech.

"How is he, Doc?"

"..."

There wasn't a response. Jazz didn't like the silence. Silence was not something he enjoyed. At all. It was too awkward, it conveyed too many unspoken things, it was so shattered, but so whole and complete. Jazz felt like he was drowning in it.

"Ratchet.. How is he gonna be?"

"Jazz." The tone was gentle, and one that he recognized. It was the tone used when addressing friends in the medbay, moments after a loved mech had gone to the Well. It was a tone used to break bad news gently.

"Jazz, I need you to listen to what I'm going to say. This isn't.. This isn't good."


	10. Moment

**And here we are.**

_Moments earlier._

Saai allowed her faceplates to twist upwards in a smirk. They were close. She could almost taste it. They would have the informatino they needed, and Lord Megatron could move forward with his assult and possibly crush the war before it spanned too long. Then life could be returned to their planet.

And it would be because of her. She could at last have the recognition she deserved. It wouldn't be Barricade or Soundwave who got the crucial information, it would be her.

It was definitely an entertaining thought.

And as she watched the Autobot on the table twist and shriek as the programs beat at his firewalls, Saai could only wonder how long it would be before he broke.

After all, he would. It was only a matter of time.

"Only a matter of time.." She echoed, purring.

It was only logical he would break. He had to. nothing could stand it this long, and if she had to lock him out of statis to ensure they got the information, so be it.

Prowl listened to that sick purr as he twisted once more. The sequences were ghosting sensations all across his frame, trying to shake his concentration. His doorwings felt like they rested in molten rock, while his energon lines felt like someone had poured liquid nitrogen into them.

He knew he could last. Calculating the resistance he was still putting up at the moment, Prowl made an accurate estimate for how much longer he could last.

And making another set of calculations with the part of his processer reserved for that task, he estimated how long he would have to wait for backup.

The first number was much smaller than the second.

Much much smaller.

There were limited choices now. He couldn't fight back, he couldn't escape, he couldn't last against the torture.

But..

He could make sure they never got the information they were digging for.

Prowl held no fear for when he went to the Well of the AllSpark. He weighed all of his choices, which amounted to two. Make sure they didn't get the information, or let them have it.

Needless to say, it was a choice Prowl could make without his logic centers. A manual full system wipe. It would feel painful, and Prowl knew he would be aware as he destroyed his own being, but he had no other choice.

"Saai... There's trouble." Awry interupted the femme's thoughts. she sighed. There was always something going on. Stupid assistant.

"Well.. What is it?" She snapped.

"More Autobots have showed up. They're moving in quickly."

"It's only fair to assume they're here for this one.." Saai intoned dryly, all of her aspirations suddenly slipping through her fingers.

"Frag it! We just need more time!"

"We.. We don't have long. They'll be here soon... Saai, if you excuse my saying... We can leave now, but leave a sleeper in him. Something to activate later. Ingraine it tightly with his coding, and when we next have the chance, activate it."

She sighed. She wanted that information, and she wanted it now. But it didn't look like she was getting it. Far from it. But.. That was a good idea. Was a logical idea.

"Do it." She hissed, moving to gather a few datapads.

Awry hurried to do as she said, fingers clicking clumsily as he entered the virus. With only nanoclicks to spare, the pair hurried out the door.

" 'Til next time, Autobot." Saai called over her shoulder, hurrying away from what was about to be a not so happy reunion.

Prowl felt the malignant coding the second it entered his own, much more refined programming. It was worming in, binding, making itself a part of him. The codes were weaving together.

But Prowl let it be.

It wouldn't be there in a little while anyways.

The second those hack programs had stopped, he had begun work on his own set of routines. Starting with the most sensitive information, he was removing it from himself, merely burning it from his processor. Of course, even with deletion, there was a chance it could be recovered. So Prowl was making sure it couldn't be. He was deleting himself along with it, leaving no ground for anyone to take anything ever again.

It hurt. It hurt as he just simply moved himself to no longer exisisting, byte by byte. He stopped worrying about the outside world, focused on his task. Prowl wasn't sure how long he had to complete his suicide, but he needed to make sure it was done, and done flawlessly.

"What's wrong?" Jazz was only too concerned, too worried that Prowl was already offline.

"He's wiping himself, and you know the fragger. You know how effecient he is. I can't get through the stubborn son of a glitch.. Not here. I need to be back at the medbay.. I don't know.. If I put him in statis, it will lock him where he is. But then.. I might not be able to recover what he's removed of himself already. And I'm afraid that's alot. In which case, we're just prolonging it, then have to deactivate him ourselves... So you see our situation."

Jazz had to stop and think... Why.. Why did Prowl always have to be so good at what he did? Why did he have to do the smart thing?

Because.. Because he was Prowl.

"Doc.. I think we should bring him back. You said it yourself. He's one stubborn son of a glitch."

Ratchet nodded, and worked around Prowl's program, freezing it and him, holding him there as he slipped into statis.

"Go get Ironhide. We'll need to carry as many of these parts out with us as we can.

Jazz nodded, and cast one last glance at Prowl before he left.


End file.
